That's right. He'd originally held high hopes for the system mall. After all, in the novels he'd read before transmigrating, the label "System items are always top-tier" was well-deserved! Superman bloodlines, nine-tailed fox cubs, planet-destroying warships, cute maidens— there was nothing a system wouldn't sell, only things you couldn't imagine.
Now look at his own system. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a junk collector! At a glance, there wasn't a single useful thing here!
"System! Refresh goods!"
[Ding! This function is not yet available. Please wait patiently. Daily refresh at 5:00.]
...
Lynn took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and sat back down. Fine! Even though it was the complete opposite of his expectations, it was still an extra supply channel, wasn't it?
Toxic Slime Mucus? Bought it! It might come in handy for making toxic potions later!
[Skull Coins: -50!]
A Lucky Cat Doll That Brings Misfortune??? What use could this possibly have?! Am I supposed to buy it to ruin my own luck because I think I'm too fortunate?! Bought it! I can give it as a gift someday!
[Skull Coins: -200!]
Baby Diapers (Slim Fit)? Lynn glanced subconsciously at the mascot-like Wraith Blood Infant lying dazedly on the counter (??_??). Hmm… It's growing so fast, and he'd already shaped it into a human form. Being naked like this wasn't appropriate. Bought it! This one's actually useful!
[Skull Coins: -50!]
Lynn pulled the diaper over its head.
His attention was then drawn to the fourth item: [Flesh Regeneration Potion Recipe (Special Edition)]: After consumption, drastically accelerates wound healing! Required Materials: Blood Demon Meat Chunks, Neutral Slime Mucus, Tyrant Flower, Man-Eating Flower Growth Hormone.
This recipe was the only decent thing in the mall. What's more, it even came with [Blood Demon Meat Chunks]— a hard-to-come-by ingredient. This was definitely worth the cost!
[Skull Coins: -500!]
[Skull Coins: -100!]
Lynn didn't hesitate to buy both items. Combined with the Critical Strike Potion rewarded by the system yesterday, he now had exclusive recipes for two potions!
He wasn't in a hurry to brew them. As a potion shop, merchants would come with various raw materials to restock every once in a while. And judging by the time, they'd arrive today.
Lynn immediately prepared his Skull Coins and packed up the piles of severed limbs and broken bones he'd dug out of the Origin-level monster's mouth yesterday.
Outside the shop, the air was thick with fog and swirling black qi. Lynn waited patiently at the door.
Slowly, the creaking of wheels and footsteps echoed from the darkness of the street. An old woman holding a human-skin lantern, with a kind yet eerie smile on her face, appeared in his sight and stopped in front of the potion shop.
"Young man, got any useless trash to give this old lady?"
[Ding! Quest Triggered: Useless Trash (2). Rewards: 50 Skull Coins, 100 Basic XP, Scavenger's Affinity +50, 1 Special Reward.]
"Yes!" Lynn's heart leaped with joy when he heard the system prompt. He agreed readily, then hurried back to the shop and struggled to drag a large black garbage bag outside.
"Young man, got so much to dispose of this time?" The smile on the old woman's face seemed to brighten.
Lynn said politely: "Yes, Grandma. Shall I help you load it onto the cart?"
"Oh, thank you, dear! You're such a kind boy." The old woman smiled warmly.
Lynn lifted the heavy bag of "trash" and placed it on the cart the scavenger was pulling. The moment he set it down, the smile on the old woman's face froze instantly.
"Origin-level… aura?" Her expression changed, and a flash of shock crossed her cloudy eyes. She immediately felt the overwhelming weight and pressure emanating from the bag. Her gaze toward Lynn became extremely strange.
[Human-Skin Scavenger's Confusion Toward You +10]
Lynn smiled and said: "It might have picked up some. Last night, I treated a customer's toothache— these are useless things I cleaned out of its mouth. I thought you might need them, so I kept them specially for you."
The old woman's expression trembled. "You treated an Origin-level monster's toothache?! Weren't you afraid it would eat you?" Her gaze grew even more astonished, as if she'd gained a deeper understanding of the young man before her.
Lynn chuckled: "Afraid of what? Serving customers is the motto of Bloodsaw Potion Shop. We treat everyone equally, no matter who they are!"
[Human-Skin Scavenger's Awe Toward You +10]
In that moment, Lynn clearly felt the old woman's gaze shift— she looked at him as if he were a monster himself. She lowered her voice, uttering hoarse whispers.
"Last night, three Origin-level [Abyss Headhunters] came here. The one you helped must be the smallest of the three. Grandma advises you to stay away from them… Did you know?"
"Last night, the neighboring Slaughter Alley, Wraith Street, and Ghost Alley were completely emptied by those three headhunters. Half of the fifteen high-rank demon hunters and wraiths there were killed…"
Lynn froze in place.
"The headhunter you met yesterday was probably coming to Feast in Ghost Alley. It seems you saved our alley from disaster."
Lynn looked stunned: "But it seemed pretty cute to me last night. It shouldn't be this ferocious, right?"
...
A brief silence fell. A light breeze blew past. The old woman stared at him as if she'd heard something utterly shocking and inconceivable.
"Cu… cute?"
Lynn: "Yeah, really cute…"
[Ding! You have left an indelible impression on the Human-Skin Scavenger!]
[Ding! Fame in Ghost Alley +1]
[Ding! Fame in Ghost Alley +1]
Lynn was about to explain further, but the old woman shook her head and muttered: "Truly… There's nothing normal in this Dark World… Especially the ones that seem normal…"
Lynn: "..."
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest. Rewards obtained: 50 Skull Coins, 100 Basic XP, Human-Skin Scavenger's Affinity +50.]
Then, under Lynn's gaze, the old woman stretched out her withered hand and slowly reached toward her chest.
"Young man, what you gave me this time is too valuable— I can't digest it all at once. This is something I just scavenged; it might be useful to you."
Creak… Creak… The sound of flesh tearing echoed.
Lynn watched as the old woman plunged her hand into her own chest and wrenched out a still-beating, blood-dripping heart. It steamed faintly in the air, throbbing steadily.
[Lynn's Sanity: -10]
"Take it." The old woman smiled hoarsely.